Chicago Improv or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Start Improvising
After tirelessly sifting through hundreds of reader questions, I’ve decided to answer a relatively easy one. “HarHar’s” number one fan and most loyal reader, Stephen Skleba, asks: “Eric, I desperately want to start doing improv in Chicago but its all so damn overwhelming, how do you recommend I get involved?” – Thanks for the Q Stevie! I’ve got an A for you.
Stephen, if you truly want to dip your toe into improvised comedy, Chicago is the perfect city for you to dive in to. First off, I recommend you go see shows around the city. Visit all of the big theaters; iO, Second City, The Annoyance, and ComedySportz should get you off to a good start.
Watching improv in the city should be something that you continue to do throughout your “career” as an improviser. It keeps you freshly inspired, serves as a great teacher. I try to see a different show every week.
Each of these theaters offers a very different style of Chicago improv and each of them offers something valuable to a well-rounded improviser.
After you’ve seen a few shows around the city, pick a theater whose style you enjoyed and start taking classes. They all offer them, and, yes, they will make an absurd amount of money off of you.
If you’re a poor college student like me Steve, which I know you are, don’t fret about finances. Why? Because all of the major theaters in the city offer internship programs wherein you pay for your classes by putting a few hours in at the theater each week.
I wholeheartedly recommend you do an internship at one of these theaters. An internship will immerse you in the theater and its style. You might even meet some future teammates!
See, anyone can take classes at these theaters. If you’ve got the money you’ve got the education. When I say anyone I really mean anyone. I’ve had classes with all types of people, from Chinese businessmen to soccer moms to a hard-of-hearing elderly man. Classes will get you on the right track, but if you really want to get involved with the “scene” you’ve got to take it a step or two further.
These guys were hilarious. Photo credit: Eightfish of AllPosters.com (why would anyone want a poster of this?)
I myself interned at ComedySportz, and was pretty involved with their theater for a while. To be very honest the internship mostly taught me that I do not mesh with the ComedySportz forms and atmosphere. However, discovering what I didn’t like in improv is just as valuable as discovering what I really dig.
The biggest thing I can tell you is to not be discouraged early on, there’s often a steep learning curve. If you stick with it, and keep pushing yourself to try new things in the improv world, you’ll have a hell of a lot of fun. My coach calls improv “funny make ‘em ups,” and as terribly stupid as that sounds, it is so very true.
Stephen, I wish you the best of luck in your funny make ‘em ups endeavors.